Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bahrain: Capital Punishment

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by Bahrain’s highest court to uphold the death sentences of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa on 13 July 2020, whether Shiekh Mohamed Bin Ali Alkhalifa has received training (a) in the UK or (b) funded by the UK Government.

James Cleverly: Holding answer received on 16 July 2020



We do not comment on whether individuals have received UK funded training.

Attorney General

Domestic Abuse

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to his oral contribution at Attorney General Questions on 9 July 2020, Official Report, Column 1110, if he will publish the framework for the CPS's interim charging protocol for cases of domestic violence.

Suella Braverman: It is essential that perpetrators, victims and their families know and understand that the criminal justice system remains open and operational during the covid-19 outbreak. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is working closely with colleagues across the Criminal Justice System to ensure that these offences continue to be brought to justice. The interim charging protocol ‘Coronavirus: Interim CPS Charging Protocol between the National Police Chiefs' Council and Crown Prosecution Service’ was published on 31st March 2020. The interim protocol sets out how charging for all cases including domestic abuse should be managed by the police and the CPS. The interim protocol specifies that priority must be given to the most serious cases to make sure dangerous offenders are dealt with quickly. The protocol aims to prioritise and focus demand so we are only putting the most serious cases into the courts system immediately. All non-custody domestic abuse cases have been categorised as Category B - High Priority cases. The CPS is committed to working closely with criminal justice partners and the third sector to ensure that victims and witnesses remain at the heart of the process.

Sentencing: Appeals

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Victims Commissioner's annual report 2019/20, what steps the Attorney General is taking with the Lord Chancellor to promote the changes to the review into the unduly lenient scheme to ensure victims are aware of their right to request a challenge.

Michael Ellis: The Law Officers promote the unduly lenient sentence scheme and its extension, including in Parliament and on social media. It is important that those in contact with victims at the time of sentencing ensure those victims are aware of the right to request a review of the sentence in qualifying cases. The Lord Chancellor consulted on including this in the Victims’ Code which is due to be published later this year.

Victims: Codes of Practice

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the 2019-20 annual report of the Victims Commissioner, what steps the Attorney General is taking with the Lord Chancellor to (a) promote the updated changes to the unduly lenient scheme and (b) increase the awareness of those changes among victims as part of the upcoming launch of the new Victims’ Code.

Michael Ellis: The Law Officers promote the unduly lenient sentence scheme and its extension, including in Parliament and on social media. The Lord Chancellor, in the recent Victims’ Code public consultation, sought views on a requirement that witness care officers inform victims of the right to request a review of a sentence, at the time of sentence. The Ministry of Justice are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and aim to publish the revised Victims’ Code later this year. As set out in the consultation, raising awareness of the Victims’ Code will be an important part of the re-launch.

Sex Offences Review

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the 2019-20 annual report of the Victims Commissioner, what progress has been made on the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate case study review as part of the Government’s end to end rape review.

Michael Ellis: The case study referred to in the Victims Commissioners Annual Report was HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI)’s Rape Inspection Report published on 17th December 2019, which focussed on the role of the Crown Prosecution Service. The Inspection and Report were carried out as a part of the cross-Government end-to-end review of the criminal justice system response to rape. One of the recommendations from this report was that HMCPSI should carry out a joint inspection with the police inspectorate, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire Rescue Services (HMICFRS), of the CPS and police response to rape allegations in order to delve deeper into this issue. That inspection is expected to commence in late August 2020.

Rape: Prosecutions

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the 2019-20 annual report of the Victims Commissioner, what progress has been made on the joint review by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services into the drop in rape prosecutions.

Michael Ellis: Work on the joint inspection by HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (led by the latter) has been delayed by COVID-19. However, a draft framework and methodology have been shared with stakeholders, including the Victims Commissioner, for consultation and an external reference group has been formed with the first virtual meeting to take place on 10th August 2020. Thereafter, it is envisaged that interviews with national leads can commence in August 2020 and fieldwork across six police forces will start in September and continue until the mid-November.

Video Recordings: Victims

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking with the Lord Chancellor to increase the number of pre-trial video recordings of cross-examination of vulnerable victims in Crown courts; to which additional Crown court locations she plans to make available that capability; and when she plans to do so.

Michael Ellis: I am pleased that the Lord Chancellor has recently approved national rollout plans for pre-recorded cross examination, for Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, for vulnerable witnesses in Crown Court centres in England and Wales. This plan includes a focus on rolling out Section 28 to London and the South East in the first wave in August, followed by all remaining Crown Courts in England in Wales in the autumn. This is a crucial step to support vulnerable victims and witnesses to give their best evidence. HMCTS’s intention has always been to complete a national rollout of this service to all Crown Courts by the end of this year and there is extra benefit in having this service available to support more victims and witnesses in light of COVID-19.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services and Social Services: Coronavirus

Jane Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to roll out covid-19 antibody tests for (a) health and social care staff (b) hospital patients, and (c) care home residents.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 02 June 2020



On 21 May the Government announced plans for a national roll-out of antibody testing in the National Health Service and care sector. Since the end of May, lab-based ELISA antibody tests have been available to all NHS staff that want one. For care staff, antibody testing will be rolled out in a phased way across regions in England. All NHS and care staff in England are being offered an antibody test, with patients and care residents eligible at their clinician’s request.

Coronavirus: Screening

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who is eligible for antibody testing for covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: On 21 May the Government announced plans for a national roll-out of antibody testing in the National Health Service and care sector. Since the end of May, lab-based ELISA antibody tests have been available to all NHS staff that want one. For care staff, antibody testing will be rolled out in a phased way across regions in England. All NHS and care staff in England are being offered an antibody test, with patients and care residents eligible at their clinician’s request. Any expansion of this programme will be announced at the appropriate time.The Government is also using antibody tests as part of several surveillance studies. We are conducting some of the biggest surveys in the world, using home-based swab testing kits and lab-based tests to find out what proportion of the population have already had the virus. These surveillance studies are designed to understand the current and future prevalence of infection in England.

Coronavirus: Kingston Upon Hull

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many new covid-19 cases have been recorded in Hull since the NHS test and trace service began.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Data on the number of COVID-19 cases are not available in the format requested.Data on the number of COVID-19 cases are available by upper tier local authority. As at 7 June, there had been 753 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kingston upon Hull. The latest data can be viewed at the following link:https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Coronavirus: Screening

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when (a) the Government and (b) Public Health England first held discussions with the companies selected to participate in the covid-19 antibody testing programme.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 08 June 2020



In April 2020, an industry call to action was announced. A number of existing suppliers and United Kingdom-based global companies responded positively to the Government’s call to action for a national effort on testing.

Coronavirus: Screening

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to roll out antibody testing to all key workers; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



On 21 May the Government announced plans for a national roll-out of antibody testing in the National Health Service and social care sector. Since the end of May, lab-based antibody tests have been available to all NHS staff that want one. For care staff, antibody testing will be rolled out in a phased way across regions in England. Any expansion to the antibody testing program will be announced at the appropriate time.

Hospices: Coronavirus

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether hospice (a) staff and (b) patients are eligible for antibody testing for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We are rolling out millions of antibody tests to help us better understand how COVID-19 is spreading across the country which will be vital for future decisions about how to best control the virus. We are now testing National Health Service and care staff as well as patients where there is an identified clinical need.For care staff, the antibody testing programme is being rolled out in a phased way across regions in England.

Secure Psychiatric Units

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Heath and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capacity of the secure hospital system in England and Wales.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England and NHS Improvement haveconducted a demand and capacity review of adult medium and low secure services to ensure they are in the right geographical location and delivering the right type of service in a timely way. This fed into the commitment to use National Health Service-led provider collaboratives to get appropriate, high quality secure care in place, which is being delivered as part of the implementation of the NHS Long Term Plan. For high secure services, NHS England and NHS Improvement are in the early stages of a similar demand and capacity review as part of strategic commissioning work. This has been delayed due to the COVID-19 restrictions but is expected to inform the workplan for the 2021-26 high secure demand and capacity plan. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with stakeholders to explore and model what impact COVID-19 might have on future demand and capacity in the adult secure estate.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish details of the contract awarded to Serco for contact tracing training.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Department will publish all contracts in line with Public Contract Regulations 2015 and are publishing contract award notices as quickly as current resource will allow. The contract awarded to Serco for contact tracing training should be published on Contracts Finder by 31 July.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has of the implications for his policies of the study on herd immunity entitled, Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain (ENE-COVID): a nationwide, population-based seroepidemiological study, published in The Lancet; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The response to COVID-19 continues to be guided by science and learning from domestic and international research is a key part of this.In order to gain answers to critical questions such as those related to recovery from and potential immunity to COVID-19, the United Kingdom Government is conducting some of the biggest seroprevalence surveys in the world. This includes using lab-based tests to monitor the number of people that are presenting an antibody response and how this response changes over time.The Government has made no assessment of the possibility of the UK population achieving herd immunity as it is not the Government’s policy, nor its aim for herd immunity to be achieved.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to produce a timetable for the upward revision of the limit on the size of gatherings, provided such events are organised with safety precautions.

Ms Nadine Dorries: There is a requirement for the Government to review the restrictions set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (England) 2020 at least every 28 days, including the restrictions on the size of gatherings, based on the available scientific evidence on whether these measures continue to be needed to control the virus.The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care conducts the review in consultation with with other Ministers. Decisions on when to change the limit on the size of gatherings will be informed by expert advice to ensure that the measures continue to be both proportionate and necessary to protect against, control or provide a public health response to the incidence or spread of infection in England.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the speed of the return of covid-19 test results to care home residents and staff.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We have recently undertaken a review of our care home sample-to-result turnaround time. We have identified and commenced implementation of a number of logistical improvements which will shorten the transit times from care home to laboratories and will enable faster provision of results.

Coronavirus: Screening

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 testing capacity data is not available at a local authority or city-wide level.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Capacity is calculated at a national level in order to flex to local demand at any given time.

Coronavirus: Social Distancing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) Chief Medical Officer (b) Public Health England advice on reducing the social distancing guidance from two meters to one meter.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government commissioned a review into the two metre social distancing rule and took advice from a range of experts, including the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Scientific Advisor, and the Chief Economic Adviser to HM Treasury, to ensure that it comprehensively examined how the two metre rule works, the evidence around transmission of the virus in different environments and international comparisons.The review findings were published on the GOV.UK website and can be accessed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-guidance/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-guidance

Mental Health: Children and Young People

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effect of his Department's policies as part of a recovery strategy from the covid-19 outbreak on children (a) with mental health issues and (b) who are at higher risk of mental health problems as a result of their personal circumstances and backgrounds.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Monitoring and tracking the impact of COVID-19 on children’s and adults’ mental health is a key part of the national response to the pandemic. We are working with the National Health Service, Public Health England and others to gather evidence and assess the potential longer-term impacts and plan for how to support mental health and wellbeing throughout the ‘recovery’ phase.NHS mental health services have remained open for business throughout this time. Our community, talking therapies and children and young people’s services have deployed innovative digital tools to connect with people and provide ongoing support. We have published guidance to parents and carers on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.We have also provided £9.2 million for mental health charities, including charities like Young Minds and Place 2 Be, which specifically support the mental health of children and young people.

Health Services: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if a representative from his Department will meet with the Menstrual Health Coalition to discuss how new ways of working during the covid-19 outbreak can benefit women’s health services in the future.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government welcomes initiatives which raise awareness on menstrual health and is keen to capture learning from new ways of working during COVID-19.With this in mind, I have asked my officials to meet with the Menstrual Health Coalition to discuss benefits to women’s health services in the future.

Health Services: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women and girls can receive treatment for (a) heavy menstrual bleeding and (b) other women-specific conditions during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: NHS England advises that any woman who is experiencing pain, or discomfort due to heavy menstrual bleeding should seek advice from a general practitioner (GP) as a first course of action. Advice for this is available on NHS.UK, where you can undertake a quick ‘Heavy period self-assessment’, which can advise on simple steps that may help, as well as speaking to a GP. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced a guideline on assessment and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, which was published in March 2018.To ensure women and girls can receive treatment for other women-specific conditions, many GPs and clinicians are currently offering telephone consultations or consultations via social media apps to assist during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Mental Health Services: Recruitment

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 19 of the document entitled, Stepping Forward to 2020/21, published by Health Education England in 2017, what progress has been made on NHS England's target of recruiting an additional 4,500 staff in children and young people’s mental health by 2021 across all relevant fields.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 22 July 2020



The figures from the children and young people’s mental health national benchmarking collection show that the employed workforce has increased by 4,557 to 14,857 whole time equivalents between December 2015 and December 2018.The national benchmarking study of the children and young people’s mental health workforce is available at the following link:https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/children-young-peoples-mental-health-services

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2020 to Question 46544, how many care home staff have been tested for covid-19 to date.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



As of 8 July 2020, there had been an estimated 741,021 tests on workers in the United Kingdom in social care settings and their symptomatic household members for COVID-19 through Departmental testing routes. There have been an estimated 352,946 tests on care home residents for COVID-19 through Departmental testing routes in the UK.An estimated 100,900 care home residents in England had been tested for COVID-19 through Public Health England testing routes.

Mental Health Services: Schools

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many mental health support teams are operating within schools; and how many (a) educational mental health practitioners and (b) Designated Senior Leads have been trained in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services trailblazer sites as outlined in the Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Green Paper published in 2017.

Ms Nadine Dorries: There are currently 59 mental health support teams operational within schools and colleges. Some teams may, however, have flexed their resources to meet other requirements as part of the COVID-19 response and any subsequent school closures.192 education mental health practitioners completed their training during 2018/19 and a further 496 trainees are currently in training.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the CAMHS trailblazer initiative as outlined in Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Green Paper.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



We have committed to establishing new mental health support teams in 20-25% of areas in England by 2023 and we are ahead of trajectory for achieving this. The first trailblazer sites became fully operational in early 2020 but it is too early to assess their effectiveness. An independent evaluation of the implementation of the core proposals within the Green Paper has been commissioned but the evaluation fieldwork had to be temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The next steps for this evaluation process are currently being considered.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of relaxing the covid-19 lockdown restrictions to enable adults from different households to meet indoors in social care and day care settings.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government will continue to review the measures, assessing them to ensure that they continue to be necessary and proportionate based on available scientific evidence, which includes up to date data. All our guidance is designed with care users in mind, to ensure that individuals are treated with dignity and respect and that their particular needs are addressed. We are reviewing our policy on visitors in social care and are looking to update our guidance shortly. The changes that came into effect on 4 July mean people can expand their support network and meet in a group of two households indoors. People should continue to protect themselves and others following social distancing guidance when meeting people that they do not live with in order to keep people around them safe, limit the risk of the transmission of the virus and limit chains of transmission.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to issue guidance on the creation of cohort bubbles in adult day and social care centres as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Government is keeping its social distancing measures under continual review. The Government will only make changes when we are confident we can do so safely. The Secretary of State for Health keeps the restrictions and requirements under constant consideration, to ensure the measures continue to be both proportionate and necessary. The Government continues to issue guidance to support the public. Since 4 July one household will be able to see another household inside or outside, while maintaining social distancing measures. People should limit indoor meetings so they are only meeting one other household at a time, in addition to their support bubble (if they have one). There is no limit on the size of either household.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Discharges

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were discharged from mental health hospitals in each month in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The following table shows available discharge figures for all activity relating to people who receive specialist secondary mental health care services or who receive specialist secondary learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder services.Number of discharges1 from mental health hospitals in EnglandMonth20192020January9,86510,622February9,1349,388March9,83611,829April9,9838,426May10,412 June9,878 July10,965 August10,096 September9,567 October10,795 November9,842 December9,970 Source: Mental Health Services Dataset - NHS Digital.1 As this is a count of discharges it may include people who had more than one hospital spell in a month and are therefore counted more than once.

Mental Health Services

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued on the resumption of face-to-face treatments for counselling and psychotherapy services; and how many such face-to-face treatments have been delivered in each month of the last 12 months.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



The National Health Service has issued guidance to services to support them in managing demand and capacity across inpatient and community mental health services and keeping services open for business at this time.Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services, which include counselling and psychotherapy, are expected to adhere to the broader Government guidance on working in COVID-safe environments to ensure that both staff and patients are protected. IAPT services continue to offer therapy via remote means, and any decision to restore face to face treatment will be a local decision, taking into account Government advice.

Pregnancy: Heart Diseases

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of (a) women who present with heart related problems in the final month of pregnancy and (b) still births that occur in pregnancies where the mother has presented with heart related problems in the final month of pregnancy.

Ms Nadine Dorries: As listed in the following table, NHS Digital has provided the following information regarding heart-related problems and pregnancy for the years 2015-16 to 2018-19:- patients whose record shows a diagnosis of hypertension in their final month of pregnancy (2nd row, excluding stillbirths);- patients whose record shows a diagnosis of cardiac disease in their final month of pregnancy (3rd row, excluding stillbirths); and- patients whose record shows a diagnosis of cardiac disease or hypertension in their final month of pregnancy and who subsequently had a stillbirth (4th row). 2015-162016-172017-182018-19Hypertension excluding stillbirths49092010251185Cardiac disease excluding stillbirths303555110Hypertension and cardiac disease including stillbirths*5*5

Coronavirus: Mental Health Services

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional mental health support has been provided during the covid-19 outbreak; and what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have accessed that support.

Ms Nadine Dorries: National Health Service mental health services have remained open for business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we have provided tailored guidance to help people deal with their mental health and wellbeing on GOV.UK and the Every Mind Matters website.We have also provided additional funding of £5 million for mental health charities to support adults and children struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time as well as a further £4.2 million, as part of the Government’s United Kingdom-wide £750 million package of support for the voluntary sector.No estimate has been made of the number of people who have accessed this support. NHS Digital publishes monthly data on the number people who have been in contact with mental health services and the number of referrals to mental health services. Reports can be found at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-tools-and-services/data-services/mental-health-data-hub/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics

Mental Health Services: Finance

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that funding is ringfenced for local authorities to meet the demand for mental health support.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The public health grant supports local authorities’ statutory duty to take steps to improve the mental and physical health of their local population. The overall public health grant to local authorities in 2020/21 is £3.279 billion and this continues to be ring-fenced for health improvement.Local authorities make their own funding decisions based on their assessment of local population need, hence we cannot specify how much is spent on individual services.

Antenatal Care: Coronavirus

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to publish guidance on allowing partners to attend antenatal appointments and scans during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 21 July 2020



The National Health Service is making arrangements to ensure that women are supported and cared for safely through pregnancy, birth and the period afterwards during this pandemic.Decisions on partners attending scans and appointments is subject to local discretion by trusts and other NHS bodies. Local maternity teams will be able to advise women on their policy on partners attending antenatal appointments including scans.Guidance produced by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is clear that women should be encouraged to have one birth partner, who has no symptoms of COVID-19, present with them during any type of labour and birth, unless the birth occurs under general anaesthetic.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support the Government is providing to local authorities to help them (a) pinpoint and (b) contain small-scale outbreaks of covid-19 shown on Pillar 2 testing results.

Ms Nadine Dorries: All local authorities have been provided access to a dashboard by NHS Digital, with Test and Trace data. This means they know the numbers of people saying they had symptoms, as well as positive cases. The Government is clear that NHS Test and Trace must be locally-led and we are working with local leaders and communities to take swift action to prevent and manage outbreaks, ensuring that our response works for them, supported by a national service which they plug into. All 152 upper tier local authorities have created and shared their Local Outbreak Control Plans. Decisions about where a lockdown will apply will be made at the local authority level, based on the Local Outbreak Control Plan, informed by local data and supported by the Joint Biosecurity Centre. Further information is available at the following link:https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust Independent Review

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 July on Independent Investigation of Patient Safety Incidents and Deaths at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust Terms Of Reference, Offial Report, HCWS376, when the terms of reference for the Liverpool Community Health Investigation will be be placed in the Library.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 22 July 2020



The Terms of Reference for the Liverpool Community Health Independent Investigation were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 16 July.

Mental Health Services: Veterans

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of recording of veteran suicide on the ability to tailor mental health services to ex-service personnel.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Holding answer received on 22 July 2020



Veteran mental health needs are very often no different to those of the general population. Research shows that suicide amongst former members of the Armed Forces remains extremely rare and is lower than comparative rates in the civilian population. The recording of suicides is a matter for coroners and recording of prior service is unlikely to help in attribution of cause of these tragic events.The National Health Service in England has set up two tailored veterans’ mental health services: the Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service and the Complex Treatment Service. These services benefit from over £10 million per year investment and have collectively received over 10,000 referrals up to the end of 2019. A third tailored service, the forthcoming Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service, will see even more investment and will provide crisis care and therapeutic inpatient support for those veterans who need urgent and emergency care.

Coronavirus: Veterans

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of mental health issues experienced by former armed forces personnel during the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps he is taking to prevent an increase in suicide numbers of veterans following the covid-19 outbreak.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Veteran mental health needs are very often no different to those of the general population. Data has shown that most patients suffer from common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety and readily make use of the mainstream mental health services provided throughout the United Kingdom. Research shows that suicide amongst former members of the Armed Forces remains extremely rare and is lower than comparative rates in the civilian population.NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware of concerns amongst the Armed Forces community that individuals may be differentially disadvantaged as waiting lists lengthen due to COVID-19 constraints. We have no evidence that this will be the case.More generally, National Health Service local systems and organisations are stepping up non-COVID-19 services as soon as possible. The approach is being flexed at local level according to capacity and demand in different parts of the country, but the reset will be gradual, with full attention to infection prevention and control as the guiding principle.

Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set up a task force to implement the recommendations made by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review published its report on 8 July and all of its recommendations, including the setting up of a taskforce, will be considered carefully.The Government will provide an update in due course.

Cancer: Mental Health

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to include data collection on cancer diagnosis in the NHS Mental Health Dashboard.

Ms Nadine Dorries: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 June 2020 to Question 55911.

Endometriosis: Diagnosis

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Endometriosis manifests itself in a variety of ways and shares symptoms with other conditions. As a consequence, diagnosis can be difficult and is sometimes delayed.There are currently no plans to reduce the average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis.Given the highly invasive nature of the diagnostic procedure and the varying degree to which women experience symptoms, it can be more appropriate to treat mild symptoms on clinical grounds and reserve a laparoscopy with its inherent risks for women with more significant symptoms.

Endometriosis: Conditions of Employment

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to ensure employers provide increased (a) paid sick leave, (b) flexible working hours and (c) flexible breaks and (d) other support in the workplace for people with endometriosis.

Ms Nadine Dorries: No discussions have taken place between the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Work and Pensions on the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to ensure that employers provide increased support for those in the workplace with endometriosis.

Endometriosis

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase understanding of endometriosis among (a) GPs and (b) other non-specialist medical professionals.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a range of information and guidance on diagnosing and managing endometriosis, and we expect all clinicians to use NICE guidelines to inform their clinical practice.

Endometriosis: Females

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase public awareness of endometriosis to ensure women are able to recognise symptoms.

Ms Nadine Dorries: Endometriosis manifests itself in a variety of ways and shares symptoms with other conditions. As a consequence, diagnosis can be difficult and is sometimes delayed. Information on endometriosis is available at the following webpages: NHS.UK: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/endometriosis/ The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/endometriosis/ The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/conditions-and-diseases/gynaecological-conditions/endometriosis-and-fibroids Endometriosis UK: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Opinion Polls

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) focus groups in each month since January 2019.

Mims Davies: Opinion polls and focus groups are routinely used to gather insight on communication campaigns to inform the strategic approach to DWP’s employment, benefits and pensions campaigns and to ensure these campaigns have impact, benefit the public and demonstrate good value for money. In this case opinion polling for communication campaigns has been taken to mean all quantitative research which measures attitudes, behaviours and campaign recall. Spending on opinion polling and related activities since January 2019 is as follows: March 2019£157,979October 2019£47,500February 2020£52,875March 2020£42,875  Spending on focus groups for communication campaigns since January 2019 is as follows: July 2019£29,850August 2019£48,000December 2019£51,000April 2020£10,475  Spending on focus groups for social research projects since January 2019 is as follows: March 2019£6,500October 2019£19,000September 2019£4,000April 2020£4,500  To note: The costs for the social research focus groups for the primary research projects are estimates, as the costs for research methods are usually combined (for example, by phase of the project); so the cost of one particular methodology wouldn’t necessarily be itemised by the contractor.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on the Youth Obligation Support Programme in the 2019-20  financial year; how many young people entered the Youth Obligation Support Programme in that year; what proportion of young people on the Youth Obligation Support programme in 2019-20 were sanctioned compared with young people not on that programme over that same period; what proportion of young people on the Youth Obligation Support programme in 2019-20 were offered a traineeship or work placement if they were still on the Youth Obligation after six months; and how many young people on the Youth Obligation Support programme in that time period left the programme before six months without finding work.

Mims Davies: Holding answer received on 30 June 2020



The budget for Youth Obligation Support Program (YOSP) for the 2019-2020 Financial year was £43m. Participation in the program is not automatically recorded by the Universal Credit system. The available data has been recorded manually by Work Coaches between January 2019 and January 2020. This is the latest 12-month period for which data is available. It is internal management information and does not meet the quality standards required for published Official Statistics. 123,000 18-21 years olds started YOSP between the 1st February 2019 and 31st January 2020. In January 2020, 6.9% of 18-21 year old claimants on YOSP and in receipt of Universal Credit, who were subject to conditionality at the point where the sanction was applied had a deduction taken from their UC full service award, compared to 4.8% of all other claimants in the same age range. Young people on YOSP are subject to the Intensive Work Search Regime and have to attend additional appointments as well as being likely to have more mandatory requirements than other young people. Therefore, young people on YOSP may have more requirements which they may fail to meet. A failure to meet a mandatory requirement can lead to a sanction where the claimant cannot demonstrate good reason for the failure. The proportion of participants who were still on YOSP after 6 months who were referred to an Apprenticeship, Sector Based Work Academy, Traineeship or Work Experience in the period 1st February 2019 – 31st January 2020 was 18%. Clerical data shows 55,400 young people left before 6 months on the YOSP program between 1st February 2019 – 31st January 2020. There are a number of reasons why participants may leave the programme, 60% move into a job or apprenticeship. Of the remaining 40% (22,300), the main reason for leaving is the claimant choosing to end the UC claim. This may include people who have found a job but have not reported that to their Work Coach.NoteFigures are rounded to nearest 100

Employment Schemes: Young People

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether young people not in receipt of universal credit will be eligible to apply to the Kickstart jobs scheme.

Mims Davies: Holding answer received on 13 July 2020



The £2 billion Kickstart Scheme is aimed at young people 16-24 on Universal Credit with the highest risk of long-term unemployment. We will not limit our ambitions about the scope for the Kickstart Scheme, and we are open to expand depending on the number of jobs of the right quality that organisations are able to create. The Government has announced a comprehensive package of support for all young people. Alongside the Kickstart Scheme, we are tripling the number of traineeships for those aged 19 to 24 and doubling the number for those aged 16 to 18, increasing the funding for new apprenticeships for young people and will increase the number of people taking part in sector based work academies.

Jobcentres: Glasgow East

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reopen Jobcentre Plus offices in Easterhouse and Parkhead in Glasgow East constituency in response to rising unemployment as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: The Easterhouse and Parkhead offices were closed in 2017/18 as part of the department’s major transformation of its estate. It no longer leases either site. DWP is currently evaluating the estates capacity needed to respond to the economic consequences of the pandemic, this is being done in line with recruitment, which is already underway. The response will take account of local demand, available accommodation and Jobcentre operating model changes. Further details will be provided to Parliament when our plans have been finalised.

Kickstart Scheme

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish any modelling his Department has undertaken on the potential effect of the Kickstart scheme on unemployment rates among people aged (a) 25 to 29; (b) 30 to 39; (c) 40 to 49; (d) 50 to 59 and (e) 60 or over.

Mims Davies: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



Jobs available to young people, aged 16-24, will be new jobs - with the funding conditional on the employer demonstrating that these jobs are additional. Initially we shall target young people at risk of long-term unemployment, with scope to extend the scheme dependent on the number of additional jobs of the right quality that are created. Many factors influence unemployment rates. We anticipate that Kickstart will have a positive effect on employment prospects of individuals participating in the scheme [but this has not been modelled].

Jobcentres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor's summer economic update of 8 July 2020, whether her Department has plans to reopen recently closed job centres to accommodate the new work coaches announced in that update.

Mims Davies: Holding answer received on 20 July 2020



DWP is currently evaluating the estates capacity needed to respond to the economic consequences of the pandemic, this is being done in line with recruitment, which is already underway. Whilst there may be a few exceptions, in general we expect that this will be new estate, rather than jobcentres where leases have been surrendered, as new estate will be easier to make Covid-secure. Further details will be provided to Parliament when our plans have been finalised.

Home Office

Drugs: Organised Crime

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Justice, (b) Education and (c) Housing, Communities and Local Government on using the findings of (i) serious case reviews following the homicides of young people, (ii) child safeguarding practice reviews, (iii) independent investigation reports and (iv) safeguarding adult reviews to help prevent violence linked to county lines child criminal exploitation.

Victoria Atkins: We are determined to disrupt county lines gangs and put an end to the exploitation of vulnerable children and young people. Learning the lessons from safeguarding reviews is vital in order to prevent future tragedies and ensure that all parts of the safeguarding system are playing their part to support those exploited by county lines drug dealing.On 4 March 2020 the Independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published the findings of its first national review looking at adolescents in need of state protection from criminal exploitation. The Home Office is working closely with the Departments for Education and Justice and others to carefully consider the Panel’s recommendations, as well as those from other safeguarding reviews relating to child criminal exploitation.The Home Office Minister for Safeguarding meets regularly with the Minister for Children and Families to discuss issues related to vulnerable children, including those victims of child criminal exploitation and officials are working closely across government to put in place a range of support for vulnerable children and young people to ensure that they are protected and able to access the support they need.

Courts: Children

Mrs Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase support available to victims of child abuse when they are attending court.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to meeting the needs of vulnerable victims and witnesses. It provides the Witness Intermediary Scheme to assist those with communication difficulties, including victims of child abuse.The majority of requests for Registered Intermediaries (RIs) - a communications specialist who helps witnesses with communication difficulties - concern the assistance of children.In 2019, RIs assisted more than 4,500 children, 560 of whom were less than 5 years old.

Disadvantaged: EU Grants and Loans

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to replace the EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) after the transition period.

Victoria Atkins: This Government has a proud history of helping the most vulnerable and is absolutely committed to continuing to ensure that victims of trafficking, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and refugees continue to get the support they need.The Home Office will continue its work to support some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society, including its ambitious NRM Transformation Programme.

Violence Reduction Units: Finance

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will allocate long-term funding to Violence Reduction Units to enable them to (a) plan strategically for the future and (b) maximise their effectiveness.

Victoria Atkins: We have invested £70m over two years into the 18 areas worse affected by serious violence in England and Wales to support them in developing a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).VRUs are required to work across agencies to identify the root causes of violence and develop a strategy to prevent and reduce violence. We expect them to build on this platform over time and we hope to see VRUs operating beyond the end of 2021. That is why future funding for VRUs will be a key element of our spending review bid.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were detained at Yarl's Wood Detention Centre for each night from 1 March 2020 to 15 July 2020.

Chris Philp: The Home Office publishes statistics on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on people in detention under immigration powers as at 31 March 2020 by place of detention, are published in Table Det_03a of the ‘Summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention. A report on Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020), released on 28 May 2020, provides further high-level information relating to immigration detention and the impact of Covid-19. Figures on numbers in detention at 30 June 2020 will be published on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest).



Summary Tables
(Excel SpreadSheet, 76.97 KB)

Undocumented Migrants: Financial Services

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been identified as being unlawfully resident in the UK as a result of status checks undertaken by banks and building societies under the terms of the Immigration Act 2014.

Chris Philp: Under the 2014 Immigration Act, banks and building societies are required to conduct an immigration status check against the Home Office disqualified person data before a current account is opened. Where this check confirms the applicant is a disqualified person, the bank or building society is prohibited from opening the account. There is no requirement for banks or building societies to notify the Home Office if they refuse to open an account.

Immigrants: Employment

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers have used the digital checking service for right to work checks since the launch of that service.

Chris Philp: Statistics on use of the online right to work service are published as part of the Home Office’s Transparency data. The most recent publication for online right to work statistics was in February 2020, covering the full year 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-data-february-2020. The next publication of online right to work statistics will be released by the Home Office in due course, covering Q1 and Q2 2020.

Asylum: Brexit

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with her EU counterparts to help ensure that take charge requests are submitted to the UK before its departure from the EU.

Chris Philp: The UK continues to meet its obligations under the Dublin III Regulation. It is for the requesting Member State to ensure timely submission of Take Charge Requests. We will continue to work closely with them to facilitate that process until the end of the Transition Period and will continue to process any Dublin family reunion cases that enter the system prior to 31 December.

Refugees: Evictions

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of implications for her policies of the refugee council statement of 30 June 2020 on refugee eviction during the covid-19 outbreak.

Chris Philp: During the Covid 19 outbreak we suspended cessations to cases where the asylum claim had been determined. We are resuming cessations in a careful, phased way. The decision to temporarily extend support was undertaken in consultation with Public Health Agencies across the UK. We are continuing to work closely with Local Authorities, Other Government Departments and Stakeholders, which includes members of the voluntary and community sector to plan an appropriate resumption to termination of statutory support, taking full account of equalities duties and potential impacts on those Service Users.

Counter-terrorism

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of risk under the Prevent programme of the European Institute for Human Sciences and its operations in the UK.

James Brokenshire: Prevent works closely with local people and organisations to stop vulnerable people being drawn into terrorism. Any indication that an individual or organisation is radicalising others is investigated and, if substantiated, appropriate multi-agency action is taken to address it. There are tried and tested mechanisms in place to address extremism in the charity sector.

Mukhtar Ablyazov

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the (a) scale and (b) number of victims of the financial crimes committed by Mukhtar Ablyazov and his associates.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not confirm or comment on individual operational matters.

Cabinet Office

Ethnic Groups and Females: Coronavirus

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he took to ensure that (a) women and (b) ethnic minorities were represented in shaping the Government's covid-19 response (i) planning and (ii) decision-making.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government’s COVID-19 response has been a cross-Government effort, involving thousands of people who have worked tirelessly as the UK faces unprecedented challenges. Planning and decision making has touched almost all of Government, with women and ethnic minorities represented at all levels.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Music: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps is taking to enable singing in (a) choirs, (b) audiences, and (c) congregations as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what date he plans to enable singing in (a) choirs, (b) audiences and (c) religious congregations as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Caroline Dinenage: We are committed to getting the performing arts sector fully back up and running as soon as it is safe to do so. It is a priority of my department to work with the arts and cultural sectors to address the challenges of reopening. We have released guidance to support the performing arts sector resume activity in line with the roadmap announced by the Secretary of State last month. In addition, the Government is supporting a number of studies that are currently underway to understand more about the risks associated with these activities. The findings from these studies will inform further changes in the guidance.Singing, especially in groups, such as in choirs or in audiences - in religious settings or otherwise, is considered a higher risk activity because of the potential for aerosol production and the absence presently of developed scientific analysis to assess this specific risk. The evidence is being developed rapidly. Whilst further evidence is being developed, we advise that non-professional groups should not sing in at this stage and should only do activities in line with government guidance on social mixing.

Video Games: Northern Ireland

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Gambling Commission permits some licensees to operate gaming machines in betting shops in Northern Ireland at stakes in excess of 25p per spin, the maximum permitted under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Gambling Commission permits licensees to remotely offer betting services in Northern Ireland without having the requisite betting premises in Northern Ireland.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason the Gambling Commission permits licensees to offer remote gambling in Northern Ireland which would not be permitted in land-based venues under the laws of Northern Ireland.

Nigel Huddleston: Gambling activity in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue regulated under the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985. The Gambling Commission has no role in setting or enforcing rules on stake limits, physical premises requirements, and the remote gambling offered in Northern Ireland, or any jurisdiction other than Great Britain.There is no provision for licensing online gambling in the Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (NI) Order 1985, however, under section 5 of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 online operators who wish to advertise their services in Northern Ireland must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission.In accordance with the Statement of Principles for Licencing and Regulation (June 2017), the only time Gambling Commission assumes jurisdiction in Northern Ireland to investigate regulatory breaches is when an Northern Ireland consumer has a dispute with an online operator which is relying on the GB licence it holds from the Gambling Commission.

Motor Sports: Coronavirus

Holly Mumby-Croft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to support speedway operators during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will ensure that (a) guidance and (b) a support package is in place to support the safe resumption of speedway events.

Nigel Huddleston: A full suite of guidance currently available to the sport sector is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation.We have published guidance specifically on the return of outdoor sport and recreation and organised sport and physical activity; we have published guidance to support the return of elite and professional sport to training and competition behind closed doors; and we are now working to facilitate the return of spectators to elite and professional sport. A multidisciplinary working group, including medical directors from a number of sports, has produced draft guidance around the return of spectators to stadia, under which a number of pilots will operate from the end of July, aiming for a full return of spectators to stadia with social distancing from Oct 1st.The Government has delivered a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support.The government is continuing to work closely with the sector to understand the issues they face and discuss how we can support them further.

Children's Centres: Coronavirus

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what strategy his Department has developed to re-open indoor play centres during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nigel Huddleston: We are in discussions about a timeline for reopening the sector. We have also been working with BALPPA, the trade body that represents the industry. Officials in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport most recently held a meeting with the body on Friday 24 July to discuss the next steps for developing the guidance and reopening the sector.

Children's Centres: Coronavirus

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether soft play centres will be allowed to re-open from 25 July 2020 as part of the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Nigel Huddleston: No. As the Prime Minister stated last week, indoor soft play and indoor play centres unfortunately remain closed. We are, however, in discussions about a timeline for reopening the sector. We have also been working with BALPPA, the trade body that represents the industry.

Swimming Pools: Coronavirus

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support is available for local councils to maintain swimming pools while they remain closed; and if he will allow public swimming pools to open subject to protections being in place to prevent covid-19 contagion.

Nigel Huddleston: Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. Outdoor swimming pools have been able to open from 11 July, and from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance.Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total up to £210 million.The income scheme announced on Thursday 2 July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for. Further guidance will follow on the principle of the scheme.